Let The Flames Begin
by RowlingTribute91
Summary: What if Haymitch didn't let Peeta volunteer for him in the 75th annual Hunger Games? Follow our favorite mentor as he goes back into the arena.
1. Chapter 1

"Haymitch Abernathy," Effie Trinket says into the microphone.

The first time my name was reaped, I nearly peed my pants. This time, however, I couldn't be more thrilled. This is the year of the 75th annual Hunger Games, otherwise known as the 3rd Quarter Quell, and the lovely government of Panem has decided to send previous victors back into the arena. As the winner of the last Quarter Quell, I want to protect my title. I suddenly remember that there's plenty of booze in the Capitol. Good thing. District Twelve ran out, and let me tell you, withdrawal is _not _for me.

Peeta opens his mouth to volunteer. I shake my head and motion for him to be quiet. I don't care how nice that boy is trying to be. I _need _this. Only then do I realize something… Peeta will now be our District 12 mentor.

I chuckle to myself at the thought as I stumble onstage to meet Katniss and Effie.

"Well, we meet again, sweetheart," I tell Katniss. She just rolls her eyes, since we've been next-door neighbors for months. And of course, she already had enough of me during the last Games. Not that she has anything to thank me for. I only kept her from dying!

Effie smiles at the crowd in that fake way of hers that makes me want to puke. "Won't this be an exciting Quarter Quell, ladies and gentlemen?"

Instead of the usual silence, I can hear a select handful of people booing. _Bad idea_. The Peacekeepers arrest them on the spot and drag them away. Before Katniss and I can head over to the Justice Building, more Peacekeepers grab a hold of us and push us forward.

"NO!" she screams. "I haven't said goodbye yet!" I see her mother, sister, and Gale Hawthorne, running desperately to catch up with her. Gale is wincing because he was recently whipped in the square (He's been hunting illegally, and on Capitol soil. Not smart). But the Peacekeepers don't let her stop.

I keep a straight face. As if_ I_ have anyone to say goodbye to.

Peeta and Effie follow us to the train station, where we are abruptly thrown into a car. I spot a bottle of scotch immediately and practically fling myself at it. Once a shot or two goes down my throat, I can relax. Then I notice my companions, all of them with their eyes on me in disgust.

"If we're going to work together in the arena, _please_ be sober," Katniss grumbles.

"Yeah," Peeta agrees. Of course he would say that. He's the genius who kept the booze away from me, back when District Twelve still had it.

I tilt my head at them and cock up an eyebrow. "Hey. Like it or not, this is how I live, kids. Just go with it."

Peeta and Katniss exchange frustrated glances, but if they have anything to say, they don't say it. I have to hand it to them; sometimes they can be quite intelligent. Effie just lounges in her luxurious chair, trying to keep her smile intact. She clears her throat.

"Don't mean to interrupt, but the video of your fellow tributes is coming on!"

We turn our faces to the big screen in our compartment, and sure enough, the replay of the reapings begins. My stomach twists a little. I already know that I will recognize every single one of the tributes, because they were all mentors at one point or another.

The most heartbreaking reaping is in District Four. Young Finnick Odair steps up as the male tribute. He'd won the Games when he was just fourteen. The girl who is reaped: Annie Cresta. From what I remember, she's his girlfriend. I'm already preparing myself not to cry when one of them dies. This is just too unfair. Luckily, another former victor volunteers: eighty-year-old Mags. Don't get me wrong. It's still hard to know that she'll be put in the arena with us. It's just… I'd rather not see Odair kill someone he loves. Or watch her die.

Peeta turns his chair to Katniss and me when the video is over. "Isn't this a strange turn of events," he says with a grimace. "Don't know how good I'll be at this, but-"

Katniss places a hand on his shoulder. "Shut up with your negativity, Peeta. You'll be fine."

"Like you care." Peeta abruptly shrugs her hand away from him. It doesn't make sense to me, when the boy used to _worship_ her. Clearly, something happened that I don't know about. He breathes deeply, and then he says, "Both of you have been in the Games, like me. You've seen your fair share of violence and gore. It's not something we can ever put out of our minds. The Victory Tour only reinforced that fact. Seeing the families of the fallen tributes… including the one I killed… I can't even tell you how guilty I felt. But I felt proud to have proven myself, to know that I really _was_ more than a piece in their Games. I guess I'll just start off by repeating the wonderful advice Haymitch gave us last year: Stay alive."

What Katniss and Peeta don't know is: I don't intend to follow my own advice.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that night on the train, I pace around the cars in my typical ritual. When I pass one particular car, I see that Katniss and Peeta are watching another video. The boy on screen looks disturbingly familiar to me. A second later, I realize that it _is_ me, fighting for my life in the Second Quarter Quell. I watch my sixteen-year-old self use the force field to kill off my last opponent. Once again, I see how I looked when I became the victor: On the verge of death, but happy to be alive. I start to relive all the feelings that swirled around in my brain twenty-five years ago: _I won. I'm free. Nothing can hurt me now. _That should tell you what an ignoramus I was.

They turn the video off when they see me.

"Who gave you permission to watch this?"

Peeta bows his head. "Nobody, but-"

"Don't you think it would've been nice to ask me what_ I_ thought about you watching it?"

They look at each other in worry. "We just-"

"Wanted to see what made me so special." I smirk at them. "It's okay, really. You spared me from telling you the story myself. Now you know who you're dealing with."

"That forcefield trick was pretty ingenious," Peeta says. "I can't believe you'd be so risky."

"You don't know the half of it. The three of us, we're so famous, but it came at a cost."

Katniss raises her eyebrows. "No kidding. Everybody I care about is in danger, and Peeta and I have to keep pretending that we're engaged." She pauses awkwardly, while Peeta avoids her eyes. "What did you lose?" I can tell she's afraid to ask.

"More than you could ever know. Maybe I'll tell you someday." I take a deep breath. "Obviously, Snow came up with this Quarter Quell to get rid of both of us. Kill two birds with one stone."

"He probably thought it would be Peeta, not you."

Of course. Just like a teenage girl to forget the man who's old enough to be her uncle.

"In case you've forgotten, I'm a target of the Capitol, just as much as you are, Miss "Girl on Fire". If I pull another stunt like I did back in my first Games, you can forget about me being there to save you, 'cause they'll have me killed first. And I hate to say it, Peeta, but not even mentors are safe. Heck, not even the _Gamemakers_ are safe. You heard what happened to Seneca Crane."

"They wouldn't try anything when they're planning a wedding for us," Peeta argues.

"Don't be so sure about that, smart aleck." _Wow_, these kids can get on my nerves fast.

Peeta throws his hands up in surrender. "I'm just trying to give us a little hope. Is that so bad?"

I pat his shoulder. "No. But we've got to be realistic. The odds aren't in our favor."

With those words, I leave them so they can get some rest. Soon, I'm watching the sun rise on the Capitol. I honestly never thought this could happen. I've returned to the Capitol so many times as a mentor, but now, the games have changed. Anything goes during the Quarter Quell. Now, for the second time, I am a tribute.


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as we enter the Capitol, Katniss and I are handed over to our prep teams to get ready for the parade of tributes. Cinna works for both of us, but I have two other stylists of my own: Xenia, a young woman with blue skin and jet black hair (_What_ _normal person dyes their skin?_ I wonder), and Grant, who must be in his sixties. It's hard to tell since he always bleaches his hair a bright platinum blond. Not to mention the fact that he's probably had so many cosmetic operations. He was one of my stylists in my first Games, so I ask him, "You remember working on me before?"

"Of course I do," he replies as he examines me. "I always remember the tributes we helped, especially if they win. Your victory was a miracle, if I remember correctly."

"Technically, all of the victors are a miracle," I say. He doesn't respond, but for a moment, he lets a small grin escape his lips. I could always count on him to not rat me out when I was sixteen, and the same rules apply now. It's nice to actually be my Capitol-hating self again. He puts me through washing and waxing next.

Once I put a robe on, Xenia comes into the room to look at my hair. "Wow, you need a trim. Or a new haircut all-together. How can you live with these split ends?"

"Same way I live with myself," I reply, laughing. "Go on and chop it all off, if you want." That's exactly what she does. When she's done, my hair is shorter than it's been in years. She runs some gel through it to spike it up for the ceremony. She cuts my nails, too.

Cinna arrives a few moments later with my costume. "I don't know much about your taste in fashion, but I hope this is to your liking, Haymitch."

He opens the costume bag to reveal what looks like a plain black jumpsuit, but I know better than to be fooled. He's got something stellar waiting for me. The capes of fire Peeta and Katniss wore last year were the best I'd ever seen, and Katniss has always been right when she says that Cinna really knows what he's doing.

I put on the jumpsuit and look at him expectantly. "Is this everything?"

He shakes his head. "Press the button in your right sleeve."

I nearly jump a mile when I see the tiny lights flickering all over me, giving the appearance of flames. "Whoa. This is so much cooler than the stupid costume from my first Games. Back then, they put us in these black overalls, miner hats, and covered us in soot. Nothing else."

Cinna chuckles. "Thank you. I remember watching the parade and thinking, 'I can do better than that'. Ever since then, I knew I wanted to be a designer."

"You sure do your job well," I admit. He bows and leaves without another word, probably to assist Katniss. The female tributes always need more attention.

Grant pulls out a crown with the engraving "Quarter Quell Victor" on it, and places it on my head. "To commemorate the importance of your win twenty-five years ago," he explains. "The letters on your crown light up, too, if you press the button in the back. All eyes will be on you. The audience is just dying to see you again."

"I bet."

Before I know it, Katniss, Peeta, and I are in the Remake Center. I immediately search for the District 11 tributes, but I don't need to look far. My old friend Chaff approaches us, with his stump of an arm, wearing his parade costume.

We shake hands enthusiastically. "Chaff, my good man! You make me glad to be here. Allies to the end, right?"

"You know it!" he agrees. He turns to Katniss. "Well, hello, my dear. I finally meet the famous Girl on Fire." In a shocking move, he plants a big kiss on her lips. I can't help but laugh at the sight. I'm even more shocked when Peeta joins in with me. She's completely mortified.

We don't have much time for talking, so Peeta gets right to it: "When your chariot enters, Cinna says you two should look away from everyone, as if they mean nothing to you. Don't hold hands or anything nice. We want to show them who's boss."

"Fine by me," I say. Katniss just nods.

I help her get onto the chariot; then she pulls me up with her. We drive out into the audience, and I feel as though we're being ourselves for the first time in so long. I'm pretty sure this is how I looked when I killed those Careers: hostile. Ruthless. We don't care what anybody thinks anymore; not the other tributes, and definitely not the Capitol. This is war.


	4. Chapter 4

We go straight into training the next day.

"You and Katniss should split up to find people you want as allies," Peeta tells me as we go down to the Rec Center.

I grin. "Just what I was thinking. You might be cut out for mentoring after all."

Peeta chuckles. "All of the other mentors were talking about it at breakfast. But thanks for the nice thought." We reach the door, and he waves goodbye as I walk through.

Chaff and I already know we can get along well, so we tackle stations together. We both pay attention to the other tributes. Of course, that's been my job for the past twenty-four years, but some of these people are so old that they won before I was even born. I need to know what they can do. And by them, I mean Mags. She seems like a kind woman, to volunteer when she can't even walk correctly anymore. I've already made up my mind about the others. Seeder, the woman from Chaff's district, automatically strikes me as a good choice. But honestly, I'm hesitant about working with anybody. They wouldn't be able to depend on me, because as soon as they do, I know I would leave them. Just like I did to Maysilee Donner. However, Katniss and Peeta insist on getting allies. So when we're eating later and Katniss tells me her choices (Beetee and Wiress from District Three, Mags, and Seeder), I don't argue.

"You know the District 3 people are a laughingstock to the others, right?" Peeta asks me.

"I don't care," I reply. "You didn't see them win. They're the smartest ones here, as far as I'm concerned."

He shrugs. "If you say so. You know more than I do."

A few days later, we line up for our exhibitions before the judges. Katniss and I sit for nearly three hours before my name is called.

"Good luck," she mumbles.

"Eh. What's the worst that could happen? Nobody's received a zero. I'll be good."

I walk in to see the Gamemakers eating and laughing. Surprise, surprise.

"Haymitch Abernathy, District Twelve," I tell them. Luckily, I don't have to get their attention like Katniss did last year. They hear my name and suddenly, all eyes are on me. I'm somewhat of a legend here.

Last time, I used a combat robot to show my fighting skills. They gave me a 9. Right now, I decide to throw some knives. I used to be able to aim without fail, but age crept up on me. After doing it so much in practice, I think it's my best chance at the moment.

I face the target, breathe deeply, and throw. The first few knives hit the target, but only on the edges. My last throw is a perfect bulls-eye. I feel like cheering.

_Oh yeah. Haymitch is _back_, baby. _

I meet with Katniss and Peeta later to talk about our performances, and I can't believe what she tells me. She made a noose and tied it around a dummy, which she labeled "Seneca Crane". As in, the Head Gamemaker who was just executed.

"You did _what_?" Peeta and I scream in unison.

"Are you trying to get yourself killed?" I ask her. "Now they'll have no choice but to give you a 12, and every tribute will come after you."

"I see why you did it, Katniss," Peeta says. "I would've painted a giant picture of Rue, you know, with the flowers you put on her. It's just that… you're bringing even more danger upon yourself. You just decreased your chances of living through the Games!"

"Better me than Prim," she responds. For the second time, I can respect her caring heart. I nearly forgot the courage it must have taken for her to volunteer in her sister's place. And she's always talking about ways to keep her family and friends alive. I have to admit, she did a much better job in the Games than I did. My prediction turns out to be right: she receives a score of 12. I get a 10. Suddenly, I'm right alongside Peeta. We have to save the Girl on Fire.


	5. Chapter 5

Except for meals, I don't see Katniss again until our interviews. Cinna gives me a tuxedo that's almost completely white. On the edges of the blazer, he's sewn black sequins. It makes me wonder how I'm supposed to match Katniss. I puzzle over it until we meet backstage. She's wearing a wedding dress. For her supposed marriage to Peeta.

Even I can see that she looks beautiful, and I think about saying so. Instead, I say, "They're making you wear that?"

"Well, the people already voted, and I guess Cinna didn't want it to go to waste." She shrugs. "Had to wear it once."

We take our seats with the other tributes, while Peeta sits in another row with the mentors. Caesar Flickerman takes the stage, looking younger than he is, as always.

He launches right into interviewing. It becomes clear to me that something fishy is going on. Everyone says something about how bad the Games are, in subtle and not-so-subtle ways. This is making me so uncomfortable. Don't they know what they're risking? I'm even less prepared for what happens when Katniss has her turn. It starts out normally.

"So," Caesar says, "I bet you're beyond happy that Peeta is safe this year."

"You have no idea. I don't know what I'd do if I lost him. After everything we've been through, he deserves to stay alive." The audience starts bawling, and I have to give her the old mentor thumbs-up.

Then, he discusses her dress. Just like last year, she spins around to show it off. Within seconds, my jaw drops. Her dress has literally burnt away to reveal another dress. It's got the same style as the first, but now, it's completely black. What's worse; the shoulders are white. Like a mockingjay.

_Cinna, what have you done? _

The audience breaks into pandemonium as Katniss leaves the stage. Many of the tributes are cheering. Caesar has to calm them down before I walk up to meet him. When they see me, everything goes quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome your Second Quarter Quell victor, from District Twelve, Mr. Haymitch Abernathy!"

More pandemonium ensues. I wave at them, and they go silent. I'm loving this control that I have.

Caesar smiles at me as I take my seat. "I can't believe it's been twenty-five years since your victory. If you don't mind me saying, we're still in stitches over your tipsy entrance at the reaping last year."

I make a small bow in my chair. "Thank you very much. I forgot that was on camera." Everybody laughs.

"I'm really curious: tell us how you feel about your fellow district tribute, Miss Everdeen. You mentored her in the last Games, so you two have obviously spent a lot of time together. What's it like, working with her?"

"Oh, she's… she's like a daughter to me. You know, I care about her. Even though didn't ask for her, and she gets on my nerves."

This earns even more chuckles from the audience.

"Would you say you have a good chance of winning yet another Games?"

I wave my hand in a so-so motion. "Eh. I'm just looking to die with some dignity."

Caesar pats my shoulder. "An honest man! May the odds be ever in your favor." The audience applauds, and I walk offstage.

As I go back to meet my fellow tributes, they do something both incredible and risky: they join hands. It starts slowly, but surely. By the time it reaches Katniss, we look like a small army. A weapon against the Capitol. I don't do anything for a few seconds.

Katniss prods me with her elbow. "Why aren't you grabbing my hand? I look like an idiot."

I sigh and decide to play along. Creating a human chain won't do any damage, right? It sure looks better than taking advantage of the arena. Although, I have a sick feeling the other tributes are thinking of doing just that.

Before I reach my room afterwards, I notice that Katniss and Peeta are still following me.

"Haymitch, we both wanna talk to you separately," he says. "To say goodbye. Katniss, can you step away for a moment?"

Without another word, she turns around and heads down the left hallway, out of earshot.

"Something's been gnawing at me since the reaping," Peeta begins.

"Whatever it is, fire away, boy."

"Why didn't you let me volunteer for you?"

I didn't think I'd have to explain myself to Peeta, but it's best that he knows everything, since this is the last time he'll see me.

"Effie pulled _my_ name out, _not_ yours. It should've been my call from the start, okay? You should've asked me if I wanted you to volunteer. I would've said no, though."

"I know you've been hurt badly by the Games, as much as I have, but I thought you wanted me to take care of Katniss!"

"And you think I won't?" I snap. "I guess you didn't notice that I've been easing myself off of alcohol for the past few weeks, drinking less and less each day. In fact, I only had one drink today. Tomorrow, I'll be sober enough that withdrawal won't kill me like it did before." I raise my hands to show him that my body's shaking, evidence of my journey to sobriety. "I promise, Katniss will return to you in one piece. And she'll have more than just me looking after her."

"That doesn't answer my real question," he argues.

I roll my eyes. "All right. I wanted to keep you out of the arena so you wouldn't have to suffer again. You didn't deserve to go back in, because you're actually a nice guy. This is _my_ battle now. Good luck getting us sponsors, Mr. Mellark."

For his final advice, he says, "Remember everything I've said. You've got the skills, Haymitch. But don't rely on just yourself. All of you guys are in it together."

I extend my arm out to him, and we handshake one last time. He walks back to Katniss silently. I assume he's going to wait outside her room so they can say their own goodbyes later.

She approaches me, looking every bit the same as the girl who desperately saved her sister from the arena's clutches. I'd thought she was crazy at the time. But then I remembered my little brother Lloyd, and how I would feel if he'd been reaped. I would've done the same thing.

"Did you really mean it?" she asks.

"Mean what?"

"You told Caesar that you think of me as a daughter."

"Yeah. It's true. Except for the getting on my nerves part. I could never really hate you, no matter what it seems like. Truth is…" Immediately, I stare at the ground. This is so beyond my comfort zone, but she needs to hear it before the Games begin tomorrow. Might as well end things on a good note. "You actually remind me of someone."

"Who?"

"My girlfriend."

"Oh. I didn't know you'd ever had a girlfriend."

"_Had_ is the key word, sweetheart. Her name was Rosemary."

Katniss takes a long pause. "They killed her to make you suffer." It's definitely not a question, and nodding in answer doesn't take any effort on my part.

"I'm sorry," she says.

Awkwardly, she moves closer and puts her arms around me. A shock runs through me because it's our first hug. It takes me a moment to return it. This girl looks too much like Rosemary, and I might lose my mind thinking she's back from the dead. I can still see the bullet go through her head, clear as day. But I manage to stay calm.

"See you in the arena," I say after pulling away.

"And may the odds be ever in your favor," she replies solemnly.

We both raise our hands in the three-finger salute, as an official goodbye. And just like that, I'm ready for whatever comes in the morning.

Keeping to my routine, I try not to go to sleep. I know I'll pay for it later, but I just can't sleep in the dark anymore. Not since muttations completely tore apart a tribute in my first Games. I awoke from sleeping to hear him screaming, and I couldn't resist going to see what happened to him. He wasn't too far away. I saw his arm and leg laying beside him, spouting out blood. Then, the mutts turned their red eyes on me. I spent all night running so I wouldn't be the next victim, but they still gave me an impressive cut. Luckily for him, the cannon went off moments later. To this day, I don't know what the mutts were. But that tribute's screaming probably saved my life.

The morning of my second Hunger Games comes quicker than I expect. I'm given last-minute preparations, and I put on the outfit we'll all be wearing. It's a blue suit, probably made for ocean water. We must be going tropical this time.

"One more thing," Grant says when we're in the Launch Room. He pulls out something from his pocket. "I thought you might want to wear this as your district token."

My heart nearly stops when I see what's in his hand: A ball-chain necklace, with a dogtag strung onto it. A mockingjay is engraved in the middle. Rosemary gave it to me when we said goodbye in the Justice Building, twenty five years ago.

"I had this made for your birthday," she said, "but I needed to give it to you earlier, in light of the circumstances. Think of me when you wear it, and you'll feel like I'm right in the arena with you. Show them what you're really made of. You can do this, Haymitch. I love you." It must have been this good luck charm that led me to victory in the Second Quarter Quell.

Back in the present, I stare at Grant in shock. "How'd you get this in the first place?"

"You gave it to me on your Victory Tour, remember? You said it brought back too many painful memories, and you wanted to reward me for my help."

I put the necklace over my head and tucking it under my suit. "Right. Thank you for keeping it safe."

"Best of luck to you, Haymitch. Since I probably won't ever see you again… I'll always remember you."

I nod to him slowly. Then it's time to head to the hovercraft and get a tracking device injected into my arms. It's as painful as it was the first time.

I stare down at the floor as we fly to the arena. It's not nerves, exactly. It's more of a resolve to fight it out for as long as possible. Even though I feel like my life is worth nothing, I'm prepared to show the Capitol that they can't get rid of me so easily.

I blink and suddenly, I'm standing in my launch pod, being elevated into the arena. I look out during the countdown, and I see nothing but water for miles.

_Here goes nothing_.


	6. Chapter 6

I've rarely ever swam before, but I don't have any other options, judging by our surroundings. All that matters is staying afloat. It would be really pathetic if I drowned in the first two minutes. I keep surveying the arena. The Cornucopia sits by itself on a tiny strip of land.

When the countdown finishes, I dive into the water. I get the bitter taste of salt in my mouth, which is strange for someone who's used to swimming in fresh water lakes. Nausea threatens to take over my stomach. But I don't stop for a moment. People could start attacking me even in the water. Finnick Odair, who Katniss and I had decided to ally with, makes it to the Cornucopia first. Katniss is merely inches behind him. I see her make a run for a golden bow and arrow, and she eyes him anxiously. She even prepares to shoot him. Then she sees my expression of disapproval as I walk up to the beach.

"Hey, you silly girl! Look at his wrist."

Finnick shows off a golden bangle with mockingjays etched into it. It was made for Peeta, but I suggested we give it to Finnick, for proof that Katniss can trust him. He might have the skills of a Career (and he's got the ego to go along with it), but he's got the heart of a rebel. Katniss still looks hesitant, but she plucks the arrow off of her bow.

"Hurry up and grab some weapons," Katniss says to me. She starts to head away from the Cornucopia.

Finnick points his trident at her. "Hold on. Mags isn't here yet. Please stay. She'll need us." We catch a glimpse of Mags seconds later, paddling like a dog to stay afloat. Almost nothing comes easily anymore once you're her age.

Quickly, I gather up a knife and club while we wait for Mags. Finnick gets antsy and announces, "I'm going to get her."

He's the best swimmer out of us, and in no time, he comes to the sandbank, carrying Mags.

"Let's get moving before-"

Too late. Gloss from District 1 has almost reached us. Katniss snaps another arrow onto her bow and fires at him. A shot in his leg doesn't kill him, but he sure will have trouble with movement now. The District 5 male begins to fight Finnick, who thrusts his triton into his body. The man becomes silent. Nobody else has come close to land, but Brutus, Cashmere, and Enobaria can't be far. I prove to be right. Katniss attempts to shoot most of them. They all avoid her arrows as best as they can.

"Move out. Now!" Katniss demands. Finnick and Mags take the rear, while Katniss and I stand in front of him, and we run, run until our legs almost can't take it anymore.

Finnick doesn't say much else when we press on. Eight cannons ring through the air, signaling the end of the bloodbath. We don't walk too far before I see a funny-looking shape in the air, like a sheet of glass. Katniss makes eye contact with me and points in the shape's direction. "Do you see it?"

"Yes," I answer. I raise my voice to Finnick and Mags. "There's a forcefield right ahead! I'm not sure how long it goes, but don't ever get too close to it." Finnick and Mags nod. For old times' sake, I feel the urge to throw a rock at it. But that stupid thing's cost me too much already.

Desperate to find water, we search for about an hour. No luck. We stop to rest in a small jungle. We're so far into the arena that none of the tributes could possible sneak up on us yet. I still keep my eyes open for anything unfriendly that might come our way, man or beast. It's getting harder to concentrate, though. My head hurts, and I'm shaking even worse than I did before. I _hate_ withdrawal.

Katniss is taken over by curiosity. "I'm going to climb up that tree to see more of this place."

She only takes a few minutes to scale the tree and come back down. "The whole arena's shaped like a circle, and it looks like the forcefield is the exact same way. It's like we're stuck in a bubble."

We begin making a camp. Okay, I didn't contribute anything. Even though I'm in no physical condition to help, I think over the structure of the arena. We've barely scratched the surface, but it's a start.

While most of us rest, Katniss decides to hunt. She returns with the ugliest rodent I've ever seen. "Look at the mouth," she says excitedly. The creature's lips are a little wet, and we all know what that means: water!

"Good work, Katniss," I say to her. "It might take a while to find the source, though. Let's call it a day."

Night falls, and Katniss sits beside me to give me bad news. "They started to beat up Cinna when my pod was going up. I think they killed him."

Even if I barely knew him, and even though he was reckless with his design, it feels as though I've been punched hard in the stomach. "I don't know what to say, sweetheart. He was a good man."

She grins at me for a second. "One of the best."

"Who's Cinna?" Finnick asks.

"Our stylist."

"Oh." He bows his head somberly. "Sorry to hear that. What he made for you was… so bold. Brave."

"The best," Katniss agrees. Then her eyes widen as she remembers something. "What about Seeder? She was supposed to come with us!"

"So was Chaff," I say. "But the Games like to have fun separating us all." Inside, I'm hoping that he made it through the bloodbath.

Right on cue, the Panem anthem plays, and we see the faces of the tributes who died today. Seeder is one of them, sadly. I breathe a little better when Chaff doesn't appear in the sky. That doesn't make the death toll any easier to watch. We don't go to sleep afterwards, thinking of where we might find the water. A silver parachute with the number 12 on it floats down towards me. Inside it is a tube of some kind.

"Any of you know what this is?" I ask, handing it to each of them in turn. Mags confirms that it's not a fishing tool, while Finnick and Katniss are just as stumped as I am. We're stuck in thought for maybe ten minutes until Katniss declares, "It's a spile, you guys!"

I raise an eyebrow in confusion. "What exactly does it do?"

"You can use it to get sap out of a tree to make syrup. But I'm thinking some of these trees have something much more important: Water."

We all jump to our feet. Finnick and I are the ones who make the first decent hole, using our weapons. Slowly but surely, water begins to pour out. It feels so good on my tongue after all this time without it. After our efforts, everyone lays down to sleep. I close my eyes, but like I said before, I'm petrified of sleeping at night. I open my eyes every once in a while to keep us informed of anything strange. That doesn't come until later. A bell tolls in the distance, and I try to count them. Katniss wakes up to the sound. "This can't be good. Finnick! Wake up Mags right now. We need to get out of here!"


	7. Chapter 7

The bell rings twelve times. Automatically, I think of a clock tower. But most clock towers don't count down the chimes to your doom. Something's coming for us.

We start to walk, but Katniss stays put. "Wait just a minute. What if they're going to announce something?"

I had been thinking along those lines, too. Our prediction is met with silence. Now I'm really getting anxious.

Lightning flashes in the distance, and I can see what's going to happen next. Rain begins pouring down. From the first drop, it's obvious to me that this rain isn't normal. Nothing in these Games is normal. Like the blisters that appear on my hands and arms. The only sensible thing to do is run while the drops pelt us. They sting terribly, as if a million needles are pricking me at once. I keep hoping for the rain to end. This isn't how I imagined dying. Really nasty way to go, if you ask me.

Finally, we reach a rain-free zone. The pain lets up somewhat, but I feel disgusting with all these bulges forming on me.

"You think there's a way to get rid of these?" I ask Finnick and Katniss.

"I'm sure there is," Finnick replies breathlessly, still carrying Mags in his arms. "Right now, I just wanna… sleep…" He stares into the space ahead of us, and his eyes widen. "Fog."

I wouldn't call it fog, more like a mist. Either way, it's dangerous, a cloud moving toward us. The second it touches my skin, I feel my face begin to droop.

Katniss stares at me in horror. "Looks like this fog's supposed to paralyze us. We have to keep going or it will get worse." Her arms start to move involuntarily.

Suddenly, my legs give out from under me, and I sink to the ground. I hear Finnick say, "I'll take him. Think you can carry Mags?"

"Sure," Katniss replies.

Awkward doesn't even begin to describe how I feel when Finnick is carrying me. Here he is, a twenty-four year old, carrying a middle-aged drunk going through withdrawal. We don't walk too long before Katniss collapses with Mags.

"My muscles are getting weaker by the second, Finnick. She's too heavy for me now."

Finnick sets me down and walks over to Mags. "I tried to be strong, but I… I can't do it. We have to leave you behind, Mags."

With the tremor in his voice, it's easy to see how much he cares about her. Darn it. She's like a grandmother to him. I should've known.

Mags gives him a kiss, and just like that, she strolls right into the fog. It disappears instantly as she takes her last breath. The cannon fires.

Katniss and I remain silent, our mouths open in disbelief.

Finnick bows his head, but he doesn't break down yet. "Maybe there's a way to reverse our injuries up ahead. Let's keep going."

We get safely past the fog, and for the first time in a while, I feel calmness wash over me. I'm drenched with cold sweats, I'm still nauseous and trembling, but we're in the clear for now.

"What about the water?" Katniss suggests. "If we wash off in it, I think we'll gain back our muscle use."

"As long as you don't mind helping," I say. "Can't exactly move, you know."

She nods without question. Finnick leads me to the shore, and Katniss lowers me in. Immediately, my nerves rebuild, allowing me to walk again. Not only that, but the puss in my blisters disappears. I sigh in relief. Katniss fumbles her way into the water and lets her blisters soak for a minute, experiencing the same bliss of healing.

"Your turn, Finnick," she says when she goes back onto land.

Finnick just sits there on the ground, moaning in pain. "No…"

I walk out of the water. "Come on, Odair. The sooner you do it, the sooner you'll stop hurting. So help me, I'm going to push you in if you don't do it yourself."

Katniss glares at him. "Haymitch isn't kidding. Don't mess with a recovering drunk, Finnick. Just let me help you." See, she knows me well.

He groans again. I flex my hands. "Looks like we're doing this the hard way." I press my hands against his back, pushing him closer to shore. When we get to the water, I pause. "Last chance to let yourself in, trident boy."

Finnick refuses to move.

"All righty, then." Summoning all my strength, I give him a final push, and he splashes into the water.

"Are you crazy?" Katniss asks me. "He could've drowned!"

"Please, Katniss. He's from District Four. He's more than capable of keeping himself above water."

Finnick already looks like he's feeling better, popping his head out of the water and smiling. "Ok. I deserved that. Thanks, old man."

_Oh no, he didn't._ "Never call me an old man. I'm not that old!"

Finnick bursts into laughter. "Whatever." Katniss and I join in, having a good chuckle, while the fun lasts.

A screeching sound comes from above, reminding me of where we are. I look up in the trees and there are dozens of monkeys. Not just any monkeys. Mutts. The minute they see me, they come pouring down to the ground.

Katniss prepares her bow, shooting arrows left and right. Now that I'm strong enough, I pull out my club and bash the monkeys who try to get to me. Finnick stabs them with his trident. We manage to avoid being ravaged by them, and a minute later, I find out why. The District Six female tribute ambles toward us, covered in blood and bite marks.

We come to her side, while Katniss takes her hand. "We'll stay here for you, I promise."

Guilt consumes me as I watch them. That's what I should've done for Maysilee. A few minutes later, the woman dies.

I'm ready to drop, having made it forty-eight hours without sleep. But it's getting dark.

Katniss can see my exhaustion. "Why don't you just go to sleep? Finnick and I can take turns holding down the fort."

"Um… well… this is embarrassing, but…" I tell her the whole story of why I'm afraid of sleeping at night.

She doesn't laugh, which makes me feel loads better. "You shouldn't feel embarrassed at all, Haymitch. You went into an arena where _forty- seven_ people died, and you were the only one left. That's worse than what Peeta and I experienced. Now get some sleep."

Just like Rosemary, always trying to see things in a different perspective. I lay down on the sand. "Okay. I'll try."

Before I know it, I'm drifting away to unconsciousness, enjoying a good night's sleep for the first time in twenty five years.


	8. Chapter 8

When I wake up, the old blisters may have gone, but they've left scabs, causing a terrible itch. It's the worst itch I've ever felt in my life. I start to scratch uncontrollably. Katniss and Finnick can't help doing it either.

"Where's Haymitch when you need him?" Katniss groans mockingly.

"He's in the same boat as you are," I reply scathingly.

Good thing Peeta learned from me. He sends us a parachute with itching ointment a few minutes later. It's a little disturbing having to put this stuff on each other, but we have no other option. Without it, we'd scratch until our skin bleeds off.

We're pretty content on this little beach. Nothing comes our way for a while, but on the outskirts of the jungle, we see the low tide of what must have been a gigantic wave. It spreads so far that my ankles become wet. Not surprisingly, a cannon fires.

The wheels in my head start turning, and I tell my companions what I'm thinking. "This arena doesn't make any sense. First, blistering rain, followed by paralyzing fog, then killer monkeys, then a tall wave? It's shaped like a circle. And we're actually having moments of peace. How do they all come together?"

Finnick shrugs. "That's the big question, isn't it? If we discover the answer, that could be the key to surviving… for as long as we can, anyway."

While we're speaking, three tributes come toward us. We grab our weapons and arm up for battle, until we see them up close. They're not in any shape to fight. It's Beetee, Wiress… and Johanna Mason, that little axe girl from District Seven. No, she's not little, but she seemed like a puny thing when she entered the Games her first time. I have to say, that was a good tactic for her; pretending to be weak until only seven people were left. Bad news for the other tributes, though.

All three of them are drenched in blood. Not just a little. I mean, their clothes are completely ruined by it.

"Well, if it isn't Haymitch Abernathy," Johanna spits. "The District Twelve drunk. You always reminded me of my grandpa, but wow, you look older in person. Hey, Pops. How's withdrawal treating you?"

I fold my arms. "You. You killed one of my tributes." I can't forget how close my female tribute, Brielle Watters, came to winning in those Games. Johanna popped out of nowhere and chopped her limbs off in a bloody fight.

Katniss surveys Johanna unhappily. She's not a fan of Axe Girl either. But she still asks, "What did you three get into?"

Johanna tells us that Beetee was stabbed in the back during the Bloodbath, which explains why she's dragging him. Thankfully, his cut isn't deep. Then she talks about this downpour of blood that they encountered in the jungle. It was so blinding that they just kept running until they reached somewhere visible. Sounds like something from an old horror movie. I only know about those because of spending so much time in the Capitol.

"Tick tock," is all Wiress can say. The poor woman lost her ability to finish sentences after she won the Games. But I can't help wondering if there's something to what she's saying.

We all pitch in to help them clean up. I'm getting to know these people in a way that I never wanted to. But we never wanted to do the Games in the first place. It's the least we can do for each other.

Katniss binds up Beetee's back to help his wound heal.

We decide it's time for another nap, but Katniss and Johanna stay awake to guard our little beach party. Not too long into sleeping, my ears are awakened by another bell. Once again, it goes off twelve times. A few words enter my mind.

_Repetitive._

_Twelve. _

_Chimes. _

_Circle._

Then it hits me: _Clock._

I sit up abruptly. Katniss is awake a few feet away, her attention stirred by the bell.

I twist my head in her direction. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" I ask quietly, so as not to disturb the others.

"Yeah. I know why Wiress kept saying, 'Tick Tock'. This arena's a clock."

I laugh softly. "That rhymed. How creative." I make clicking sounds with my mouth, imitating a ticking clock.

Katniss glowers at me. "Shut up, Haymitch. That's just obnoxious. We have to start moving again and investigate."

Once everyone's awake, we eat and gather up our belongings. Finnick suggests going back to the Cornucopia.

"Sounds good," I say. Katniss doesn't argue, and we march onward, not knowing if we'll run into any of the Careers. I welcome the prospect. Let them try to kill me. I didn't win the Second Quarter Quell for nothing.


	9. Chapter 9

At the Cornucopia, we cautiously assess the weapons that nobody took, watching out for any sign of the Careers. I switch my club for a spear, and I pocket a few knives. Now I feel much more useful.

Wiress makes herself at home on the shore. I look in my pocket and discover that somewhere along the line, I was handed a coil of wire. Beetee's. He's been too weak to carry it.

I hold it out to her. "Hey, can you clean this, Wiress?"

She nods and gets straight to washing it. To my amusement, she starts singing. I think I've heard it before, so I start humming along.

"Psst. Haymitch." Katniss startles me from behind. "We should put together a map of what we know about the arena."

I nod, coming back to my senses. "Right." I find a random twig and start drawing in the sand. I make a circle and divide it twelve times, like the spokes of a clock.

"Well, you're not much of an artist, are you?" Johanna sneers at me.

"I am when this can keep us alive longer," I snap back. She's no match for me, really.

I mark in the parts of the circle that we know: the lightning, the fog, the monkeys, the wave, and the blood rain, and Katniss reminds me of what time each obstacle occurs. Finnick, Beetee and Johanna look over our shoulders to see my handiwork.

"It's not the whole thing," I say, "but it's a good start. Now we know when to avoid which places."

It's only then that we realize: it's become deathly silent.

I turn around to find Wiress with her throat slit, Gloss standing over her. And he's not alone. He doesn't even get a chance to escape. Katniss fires a fatal arrow at him. Johanna thrusts an axe at Cashmere, who keels over, dead.

Just goes to show, never mess with two angry girls.

Three cannons go off. I stand up, shaking. Enobaria and Brutus are still left, glaring at us menacingly. Game time.

_This will be just like old times, killing off some Careers_, I think to myself.

Brutus throws a spear at me. I deflect it with my own spear, and the impact makes my muscles ache.

Finnick jumps in front of me just as Enobaria lets loose a knife. It sinks into his leg. Better there than in his chest.

To our surprise, the District 2 tributes run away without more of a fight.

"Oh no, you don't," I mutter.

I fling a knife at Enobaria's heels, but she's too quick for me. I begin sprinting towards her.

The next sensation is like a gigantic hand is pulling me downwards. I sink to the ground, along with my allies. The Cornucopia is spinning us like a merry-go-round. I hang on with every ounce of strength, hoping I don't get sick. After about a minute, we stop moving.

I put a hand to my forehead, trying to stop the migraine that's begun to hit me hard. It hurts so badly that I can only see by squinting. "Kill me, Katniss. Just kill me."

"Gladly," Johanna replies, taking hold of her axe.

"No." Katniss glares at Johanna; then she focuses on me. "We still need you, okay?"

I slowly open up my eyes. "Just let me stay here and die if you won't do it."

Johanna waves indignantly. "Hello. My offer's still up in the air."

"Cool it," Finnick yells. "All of you! Beetee's missing."

I look out into the water, thinking he probably fell in. Surely enough, I see his head bobbing out of the blue, working hard to stay afloat. Finnick plunges in to rescue Beetee.

I see a mental light bulb go off in Katniss' head. "Cover me."

She ducks down and runs into the water, grabbing the coil from Wiress' body before the hovercar can take her away. Suddenly, I'm thankful that I've never had to deal with dead bodies. That's the second one for Katniss, including the District One girl from last year, Glimmer. I remember the horrifyingly disgusting way she died, with her tracker jacker stings bursting open, and my stomach churns.

Katniss doesn't hesitate to do it quickly, and she returns to shore, giving the coil back to Beetee.

"Thank you. I think I can try walking again," he says. "Let's go back to the beach at the twelve o'clock mark."

"But the tail moved when we were spun," Finnick argues. "It won't point there anymore."

"We should follow Brutus and Enobaria," says Johanna.

Katniss is looking crestfallen, regretting ever mentioning the clock while the Careers were within earshot. Beetee just says that we should wait until ten, when the wave returns. We'll be able to see it and we'll know which way to go. Me? I'm a clueless mess.

In the end, we take a risk and go down a path that we randomly select, my headache lessening to a dull throb. We end up somewhere in the jungle. It looks safe enough, so we settle down. Katniss and Finnick go off to collect some water. A few moments later, I hear her screaming, and the rustling of leaves.

"Prim!"

She must think her sister's in danger. This doesn't make any sense to me, though. Primrose Everdeen never set foot in the arena, thanks to Katniss. Then I hear a different, smaller, female scream. It sure sounds like it could be her sister, but how can that be?

I can only think of one thing.

"Don't lose your head, Katniss!" I shout, hoping she can hear me. "It's jabberjays!" The Capitol obviously took some sound bite of Prim talking (we're at eight tributes left now, and they always interview family then).

Johanna gives me a poisonous stare. "She can't hear you, Pops. But maybe the others can. I didn't come this far to die because of your stupidity."

I pull out a knife and point it at her threateningly. "Not a peep out of you, Axe Girl, or I might just let this knife find your back."

"Ooh, I'm so scared…"

I roll my eyes. She's not worth the effort. I walk to the edge of the jungle, trying to reach Katniss, and I run straight into a wall of glass. Now I can't hear any of what's going on in there.

Katniss and Finnick return soon, only to discover the wall.

"Sorry," I say to them. "We're all stuck."

Katniss puts a hand to her ear and I see her mouth ask, "What?" Right. She can't hear me at the moment.

_Great. Now we wait. _

They stand there miserably. Jabberjays flock over to them, and Katniss shoots them, trying to silence whatever voices are coming out of their stupid mouths. Probably more of her loved ones, since this is the Capitol we're talking about. Plutarch Heavensbee may be the new Head Gamemaker, but he's showing no mercy.

Poor Katniss is shaking when the wall disappears. While the others recover from the aftermath, I try to calm her down by talking about the family interviews, assuring her that Prim is alive. Nobody questions it because we know each other the best. I won't give up on her. Slowly, she catches on and breathes in and out deeply.

"Finnick heard the voice of some girl named Annie," she tells me.

"That's Annie Cresta, the girl Mags volunteered for. And I'm pretty sure she's with Finnick."

A cannon catches everyone's attention, and we watch as a hovercar lifts a male body into the air. He looks as if he's been mauled by something. It's in a section we haven't visited.

_Please don't let that be Chaff_, I think.

I mark off the area in my still-readable sand drawing, labeling it _mutt_.

"You think that's what's in there?" Katniss asks.

I shrug. "For all I know, it could be."

We go to sleep for a while, until the anthem rings out and the fallen tributes illuminate the sky. Chaff didn't die today. Thank goodness. I sleep easier knowing my friend's alive.


	10. Chapter 10

My headache is finally gone when I wake up. As we eat some breakfast, I think of ways to keep Katniss alive. She has to win this thing. Whether she realizes it or not, she's shaping up to be the leader of the rebellion that is brewing.

She comes up to me and says quietly, "We need to leave. There are only eight of us left, and you're the only one I trust."

"Thanks for the compliment, sweetheart," I reply, smiling my first genuine smile in years. "It's the Careers we should worry about first, though. Wait until they're gone."

"Okay… by the way, I know how you can get rid of those blister scabs."

After we all wash off and reapply lotion, Beetee discusses his official plan to get rid of Brutus and Enobaria, using my map of the arena as a guide. "The best way would be to create a little trap," he decides. "Now, where do you think they could be hiding?"

This is too easy for me. I've got more mentor years than all of them put together. "They'll be on the edge of the jungle," I say. "Far enough from the dangers inside but close enough to spy on us."

Beetee nods and goes on to remind us of the lightning bolts that go off at twelve. That's where he loses me, talking electronics like we're supposed to understand every word of it. I know almost nothing about wires, coils, whatever he's saying. Something about connecting a wire to the tree in the lightning zone and taking it all the way to the water. Then he says, "Anyone in contact with those surfaces at that moment will be electrocuted (pg. 360)."

That, I understand. The perfect plot to either kill the Careers or their food supply. We'll be okay hunting animals.

"Now we need to investigate the lightning tree," he continues. "So pack up."

We return to the tree soon enough, but I pause. "Wait. Time to find the forcefield."

"I'll do it," Katniss volunteers. She throws nuts near the giant tree, and when they bounce off, she tells us to simply stay below it. I draw a line a few feet away, so we can stay clear of it. Then we each take different jobs. Beetee is, of course, surveying the tree, with me standing guard. Katniss, Finnick and Johanna go off to get some food and water for us.

We return to our beach in the ten o' clock section by late morning. Beetee lets us off the hook in the afternoon, so that he can work his magic. He's still got his head on straight, as opposed to most of us who won the Games.

It's not until nightfall that he gives us more details. Katniss, Finnick and Johanna agree to do whatever Beetee asks of them in order to make this possible. It takes me a second, but I realize that my worst fear is coming true.

In other words, they want to destroy the arena.

I'm stunned by their boldness. Didn't they watch me manipulate my arena? It may have been a while ago, but I'm sure all of them have seen my stunt. I know Katniss did, anyways. Beetee would've been just a child when I won. More to the point, did they not hear what happened because of it? Aren't they the least bit afraid of what the Capitol could do to them, to _their_ loved ones?

"I'm not helping," I say to them. "If you're going through with this, count me out."

They all stare at me in disbelief.

"You can't be serious," Finnick says.

"I'm dead serious. I'll go off to find Chaff, ally with him."

"Sure, you can leave us," Johanna agrees. "But if I see or hear any sign of you, I'll give you the same amount of mercy that I gave to your girl tribute. You know what that means. You run into me-" she makes a throat-cutting motion-"off with your head."

"Suit yourself," is all Beetee says.

I'm shocked to find that Katniss' eyes are getting watery. "Don't be stupid," she implores. "You won't last a day on your own."

"You don't get it, do you? I defied the Capitol, just like you and Peeta did. And I've regretted it ever since. I won't put myself in that position again."

I hadn't been thinking about the fact that I would have to come back every year as a mentor, watching my two tributes give everything they had, only to die. Almost twenty-five years. _Forty-six_ of our District's kids lost their lives in the arena since I was the victor, with one exception sitting before me and one watching over us. When I found the force field, I hadn't been thinking about whether or not I was overstepping the rules. I didn't know that I was about to lose everything.

I get onto my feet, gathering up my items. "Goodbye, everybody. May the odds be ever in your favor." I stretch out my arm to give them the three-finger salute. Katniss is the only one who returns it.

Without another word, I start heading away from their camp.

"Hey, Abernathy." Johanna's voice makes me turn around.

"Yeah?"

"I saw the video of your Games. I'll deny I ever said this, but… Contrary to what it may seem, I admire you, Pops. Don't make me kill you."

The next thing Johanna does leaves me completely bewildered: she gives me the three-finger salute, and runs back to the others.

I stand in place for a moment, face the west, and make my way to the eleven o' clock section, where we heard clicking sounds earlier.

Peeta must be yelling at me from his comfy seat in the Capitol. Whatever. I know Katniss can take care of herself. She's done it for years since her father died, as she so often told me before.

Once again, I'm alone in the arena.


	11. Chapter 11

"_Somewhere, weakness is our strength, and I'll die searching for it."_

-Paramore

[lyrics are from "Let the Flames Begin"]

I know it's stupid to be wandering into an unknown section during their active hour, but it was all I could think of. I hadn't planned on this. In my pre-Games days, I would've been all gung-ho about Beetee's idea. Now, I'd rather have died in my fight with the District 1 girl. It would've been easier than losing my mom, brother, and the girl who was quite possibly the love of my life. I can't even think about women in the same way anymore. Nobody can replace Rosemary.

My trek leads me to the jungle, where the clicking sounds get louder. I decide to stay in the lightning section until the 11 'o clock hour is over. Then, I'll be able to walk through safely.

Not far into my walk, I hear footsteps behind me. I spin around to see who it is.

"Hey Twelve. You lead us to your partner, or you die."

Brutus. Of course, I had to run into the Careers.

With all my strength and concentration, I fling a knife at him. It lands right in his chest. Enobaria doesn't even check on him. She takes off immediately, but I catch up to her.

I grab her arms and fold them behind her back, wrapping them with my belt, which I pocketed specifically for something like this.

I put a knife on her throat. "Where you think you're going?"

"A better place than where you're about to go," she hisses. She turns her head towards me, trying to bite me with her Capitol-made vampire teeth.

I scoff. "That was cute. But seriously, you're out of luck. Goodbye." I move the knife away from Enobaria's throat and plunge it into her back. As she collapses, she lets out an agonized scream. I almost feel sorry for her.

_Almost_.

Her cannon fires a moment later, followed by Brutus'. But something else grabs my attention… there was another cannon not even a minute before I found the Careers. Who was it?

_They better not have killed Katniss… They promised me!_

I can't think of anything else for probably half an hour. All I do is sit under a tree, since I know where the others are. If Chaff comes along, he won't try anything. I'm all burned out. Why did I have to get reaped in the first place? What idiot came up with the Hunger Games? Why did I have to kill people? I'd barely known them, and all of sudden, I had to be the last face they saw? WHY?

Now I'm absolutely hankering for a drink. I scan the jungle trees, hoping that maybe a bottle of liquor will just fall down from one of them. I notice a snake curling in one of the branches. That's when I see it.

A pair of eyes have been staring at me from behind its tree. The eyes move closer, and a full figure comes into view.

It's Johanna.

Before I have time to register what this means, she sprints at me with her axe and takes a swing.


	12. Chapter 12

I duck quicker than I thought possible. Guess my reflexes are still good. My spear is about five feet away, but I reach it in no time.

I lunge towards Johanna, and the spear goes through her shoulder.

She shakes her head, laughing. "You'll have to do better than that if you wanna kill me, Pops." To my disbelief, she actually pulls the spear out of her and hands it back to me. "Now it'll be a fair fight."

Our weapons cross with an almighty clang. We push against each other, trying to prevent the other from gaining an advantage. I let go for a moment and aim for her heart. She swings again, barely missing my knees. I move out of the way just in time.

"Too slow," I tease. We clash weapons again. And again. And again. Seriously, neither of us is backing down. Being in this arena has reopened my eyes, making me realize that… I actually _don't _want to die, so I'm going to fight for all it's worth.

I bring the spear under her axe, and it flies out of her hands, onto the ground. She makes the mistake of crouching over to pick it up. Before she can stand again, I push her down with my foot.

"Fighting a girl with an axe… Now, where have I seen this before? Oh, right. Back in my first Games. You know, I killed a Career girl with an axe."

She looks at me with an expression I've never seen from her. Johanna Mason, the pretend weakling-turned-ruthless killer, is _afraid_.

"He lives!" I hear someone yell. It sounds like Finnick. Through the trees, my former allies approach. Immediately, I release my foot from Johanna's body. She stumbles to her feet.

Katniss sees me and her eyes light up with hope. "Haymitch! I thought you were one of the cannons!"

I smile. "Nope. I took care of the Careers." I take a look at her arm, which is bleeding profusely. "What's that about?"

"Johanna cut me," she says.

I nod in approval. "Ah." I lower my voice to explain. "She was taking out your tracking device so that Brutus and Enobaria couldn't find you. Clever idea." Suddenly, I'm grateful that I didn't get the chance to kill Axe Girl. We could use her insanity for the adventures to come.

"Then I wish she would've warned me before she attacked me," Katniss mumbles.

"Heard that." Johanna walks up to her. "But you wouldn't have believed me if I'd told you my plan, now, would you? You don't trust me."

"Guess not," Katniss agrees.

Behind her, I see Finnick and Beetee. And of course, I already saw Johanna. That means…

"Chaff." I pause to absorb the news. "Chaff died."

I'd seen Chaff win the Games when I was a kid, and the loss of his hand had given me nightmares for weeks. By the time I'd become victor, I understood more of what he'd been through. As fellow mentors, we drank to our tributes whenever they won (which never happened to me) or died. When Rue was killed and Katniss gave her a proper goodbye, Chaff was the one who insisted on sending her some bread to reward her. We were perfect friends who both turned to alcohol to dull the pain. If I get out of here, who am I going to drink with now?

"Did you cut the wire?" Beetee asks me angrily.

This is news to me. "What? No. I haven't been anywhere near it." Maybe I didn't like what he was doing, but I'd never sabotage a genius like him.

"Then it was the District 2 people," he realizes.

"Yeah. Like I said, they won't be bothering us anymore."

"And now my plan's gone down the tubes," he says with a frown.

My mind flies to the lightning tree. Then it hits me: What had I been trying to avoid by leaving the others? Losing my dignity? No. I lost that a long time ago, the minute I started drinking. Losing my life? No. This is _the Hunger Games_, for crying out loud. In fact, it dawns on me that I don't have _anything_ left to lose. So, there's only one thing left to do. It's time that I stopped pretending to be a good citizen of Panem.

It's time to make the Capitol pay.

I look at Beetee earnestly. "Maybe not. Lightning hasn't struck yet. But if we want to make it back to the tree in time, we've gotta run."

"What are you thinking?"

I raise an eyebrow, trying to look mischievous. "You'll see."

They all nod, and we arrive at our destination in about ten minutes.

I stare at the tree. "Katniss?"

"What?" she asks with a curious eye.

"Remember who the enemy is," I whisper in her ear, handing her my last knife. "You know what to do."

Katniss turns her face to me with a knowing expression, tying the knife onto her arrow and placing it on her bow. She shoots it right in the direction of the lightning tree, just as the bell tolls midnight. Within seconds, everything around us goes up in flames.

_Now we really run. _

Before we can step another foot, something grabs a hold of my waist. I look down to see the claws of a hovercraft, pulling me up. This can't be good, but it can't be half as bad as what I've already been through. This should be a picnic. When I reach the inside of the hovercraft, I see Plutarch Heavensbee.

"Who do you think you are, rescuing us?" I yell.

He just puts a finger to his lips. "I'll explain later. For now, get some rest."

I'm a little skeptical at first, but then I see his watch, with a mockingjay in the center. Why didn't I notice it earlier?

"You're… one of us," I mumble drowsily as the lights go out.

I wake up in a hospital-like bed, with a bandage around my head, another around my right wrist, and a tube in my left arm. I don't even remember getting injured in the arena, but then again, I didn't carry a mirror to see how I looked.

In another bed lies Beetee, and across from us are Katniss and Johanna. All of them are sleeping except for Katniss, who has a visitor.

Peeta.

"Hey there, boy," I say in as loud a voice as I can muster. "Nice job."

Peeta turns to face me. "Good, you're awake! I need to tell you what's going on."

"Wait. You _did_ pick up Finnick too, right?"

"Of course," he replies adamantly. "He's in another room."

"All right. So why are we in a hovercraft with the _Head Gamemaker_, of all people?"

He takes a while to explain everything, how Plutarch has been a secret rebel from the beginning, how the (previously destroyed) District Thirteen is still thriving, and how the other tributes vowed to protect Katniss and me. _Me!_

"I understand about Katniss," I tell him, "but why would they want to save _me_?"

"Because of your past with the Games. They're calling Katniss the mockingjay, and she has the potential to bring down the Capitol. But even mockingjays need a mentor. The three of us make a formidable trio, Plutarch believes."

"How's everything in Twelve?"

Peeta's face falls. "That's the thing, Haymitch. Katniss, you need to hear this, too."

"Hear what, Peeta?" she pleads.

He stands in between our beds, gazing at us solemnly.

"The Capitol had enough, and they returned to bomb not just the Seam, but the entire district. District Twelve doesn't exist anymore."

Tears begin streaming down Katniss' face, and my eyes widen in horror. I definitely hadn't seen this coming. Once again, it was all because of me. Good old Haymitch Abernathy knows how to bring destruction wherever he goes.

But Haymitch Abernathy, victor of the 50th annual Hunger Games, knows how to aid in a rebellion, too. If this was the spark, then let the flames begin.


End file.
